Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-09-22
MARY JAMES TRAVELS.
SHE WRITES FROM CHARMING PAL
LAMA, ITALY.
Trouble at Milan in Finding a Famous
Painting-Something About Americans
Who Are Travelling Abroad-The Lakes
of Italy.HOw Como Was Named.
Special Correspondence. I

of ItaIy.How Como Was Named.
Special Correspondence
PALLANzA, Italy, Aug. 12.-I don't know
exactly the size of the ignorance 1 ordinarily
wear, but lam free to confess that until
bought my ticket to this place never heard
of it. 1t is a charming place, too, surrounded
by history and beautiful scenery and summer
reSorters and sits so close to Lake Maggiore
that the foot of the street we live on hangs
over into the water. We came here to take
little breathing spell before getting into or
onto that diligence to ride sixty five miles
over the Alps, because beyond the Alps lies
Switzerland.
To recur to the subject of ignorance we
had a manifestation of it in Milan, which
gives me the courage to acknowledge that I
never heard of Pallanza till now. At our
hotel Ill Milan, which was in sight of the
cathedral 1 found it necessary to ask one of
the English speaking men in the Office the d.
rection to the other great attraction of the
city, to wit: "The Last SUPPER" picture
familiar by copies to every Sunday school
scholar in America. SO in an off hand, mat
ter of course way said to him:
"Where is Leonardo da Vinci's picture of
'The Last SUPERB"
"Mem!' said he, with twenty centime in
terest.
"Where's Da Vinci's LAST Supperr" think
ing he hadn't understood me-
"Da Vinci-Da Vinci!' he repeated aues-
tioningly, as he scratched his head thought
fully.
EYES," said /, "Da Vinci's Last Supper a
famous picture; don't you know where it isa"
mo mem, L never heard of it. Excuse me,
I'll call up the bead waiter"
Then he called up the waiter, and as that
worthy gave me the proper direction he stood
by in very evident satisfaction that the hotel
was so well equipped for the benefit of its
guests, and with never sigh for his own cul-
pable ignorance.
By the way, the English speaking walters,
or waiter, for there is often only one, with
which nearly every continental hotel is pro-
vided, are the most valuable men in the en-
tire establishment, and are superior to any of
their class in America. They know nearly as
much as the prevalent American hotel clerk
thinks lie knows, and when I have said that.
what more comprehensive compliment can l
pay them! From q railroad timetable to the
price of hairpin they know every foot of
the way; land they are as conversant with an
art catalogue as with bill of fare Every
one-tongued American on the continent is
under obligations to these walters, and l
gues the walters are not sorry of it, Neither
are the hotel proprietors, for the guests pay
the salaries, or words to that effect.
My Last Supper" experience reminds me
of story which / cannot vouch for as can
my own. A rich American over here from
Chicago seeing the sights met friend in Mi
Ian who had spent the winter in the city.
Very naturally, the friend made inquiries as
to what the visitor had taken in during his
urban and suburban rambles
'Have you seen Da Vinci's Last Supperrn
lie asked early in his catechism.
swell, no" replied the Chicagoan, regret
fully, 81 can't say that have You see, I've
been so confounded busy chasing around after
art and that sort of thing haven't had a
chance at a meal of victuals except what 1
got at the hotel. presume he won't give an
other until next season, will heg'
OF course, this kind of ignorance is excusa-
BILE in man coming from away off in Chi
cago, but that a Mianese hotel man shouldn't
know Da Vinci's 'Last Supper is an unpar-
donable sin.
Dickey says / shouldn't tell stories like that
on Americans, even if they be true, for it
brings the nation into disrepute, but hold
to the contrary and will proceed with another.
The cemetery at Milan, which, by the way,
is very handsome one, is called, as in all
italian cities, Campo Santo'' C'Camp of the
Saints" Dickey says it means), and every
body who goes to Milan gets out to see it.
'ba 1ox 1ov. ~
lady wearing diamond ring on the outside
of her glove and very willing to talk with
out the formality of an Introduction
''What an outrageous spot this is" she
said to me after few questions of identif-
cation.
Eyes" said I, trying to think what UNI
brageous meant and wondering if she signed
Boston after her name on the register.
Beautiful" she continued; "with the excep-
ton of the one at Genoah, think this the
handsomest Sancho Panza in Italy,
1 concurred with great unanimity, and
turned awav to Drc--~+ D;~i-~"' f..c., -t~l.:..--
to death on handkerchief she had stuffed
into her mouth.
But this is hardly narration of travel,
and right on the heels too, of trip from
Como to Pallanza, than which for Q days
journey there can be none more variously
beautiful i'll all the realm of nature If I
could transfer a patch of this portion of Italy,
about 100 miles square, to some point in Penn
sylvania, equidistant from New York and
and have the copyright secured
for five years for excursion privileges, I'd
have enough money at the expiration of the
time to live like Pullman palace car porter.
We float through a picture for the first
twenty-five miles on Lake Como: then by
rail far up the mountains to the clouds, and
down again to Lake Lugano; then by steamer
between the shadows of the grim, gray
past little villages sleeping by the
water side; thence rail again through gorges
where tossing, tireless stream throws silver
lace on every leaf and flower that dares to
show its colors on tho rocks, and last we
skim along Maggiore's dark green waves,
whose deep foundation stones lie full 1000
feet below the level of the sea and
GEat q table d'hote ct Pallanza, painted
red by en- italian sunset" interrupted
DicEey, looking over my shoulder.
In the soft twilight, accompanied by a
nightingale in the oleander trees by the shore,
[ listened to Dickey in rapturous girly olo-
1uence telling Baltimore newspaper man Of
.he beauty of the italian lakes and Just about
The time thought three might be crowd,
and had given ny skirts preparatory shuf-
ae previous to quietly stealing away, she
asked hin hoy Lake Como had received its
name. This vcs il The nature of the dry de-
tails OF Autobiography. so to speak, and
ren1ainc1 10 clean o Fact c. two.
'It is c pretty story, but tragic one" be
said, fixing himself in IN easy position, "and
: shall only be 100 glad to tel it to you.